Machine for fusing top and bottom seams of metal cans or like receptacles.



Patented Apr. 9, l90l. J. GEBSANT & A. G. BUTTIFANT. MACHINE FOR FUSING TOP AND BOTTOM SEAM'S OF METAL CANS OR LIKE REOEPTAOLES. (Applieiofi filed Oct. 22, 1900.

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(Application filed Oct. 22, 1900.)

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J. GERSANT & A.- G. BUTTIFANT. MACHINE FOR FUSING TOP AND BOTTOM SEAMS OF METAL CANS OR LIKE BECEPTACLES.

Application filed Oct. 22, 1900. (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

J ULES GERSANT, OF LARKHALL RISE, AND ARGHIBALD GEORGE BUTTIFANT, OF LEE, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR FUSING TOP AND BOTTOM SEAMS F METAL CANS 0R LIKE RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 671,547, dated April 9, 1901. Application filed October 22, 1900, Serial No. 33,933. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULES GERSANT, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at l Netherford road,Larkhall Rise, in the county of Surrey, and AROHIBALD GEORGE BUTTI- FANT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 32 Southbrook road, Lee, in the county of Kent, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in IO Machinesfor Fusing the Top and Bottom Seams of Metal Cans or Like Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in machines forfusing the top and bottom sea-ms of metal cans and like receptacles by the process of fusing together within the seams the contacting parts of the coating with which is covered the metal from which the cans and receptacles are made, the machines being designed more especially for use in the manufacture of cans and the like made from tinned sheet iron.

We attain our object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a part sectional side view of half of the machine,and Fig. 2 a similar view of the other half. Fig. 3 is a sectional front view of a detail, and Fig. 4 a plan of the driving arrangement.

Supported on a suitable base-plate u. we provide standards 1), carryinga table 0, above which is the rotatable platform d, attached to the vertical shaft 6, the lower end of which 5 is free to run in the footstep f. Below the table 0 is an air-chamber g, communicating with afan. The chamber 9 has a lower stuffing-box 77., through which passes the shaft 6,

a pipe 1' being attached to the under side of the table 0, so as to run in the second stuffingbox j. Above the platform (1 is a gas-chamber 70, outside which is an air-gallery Z, communicatin g with the pipe i, and consequently with the air-chamber g. Gas is supplied to 5 the gas-chamber 7t through holes m in the supply-pipe n. The pipe 01 has a plug 0 at its lower end, which plug rests in the recess p at the upper end of the shaft e. Intermittent rotation can be given to the platform 01 by a ratchet-wheel q, attached to the shaft 6 and operated by a pawl r, carried at the outer end of the arm 8, coupled at t to the connecting-rod u, worked by the crank 8, carried by the shaft w, which is rotated by the spur-wheel to, which is revolved by the pinion 3 on a lower shaft .2, the lower shaft having the fast driving-pulley A and the loose pulley B.

Equidistant around the platform (1 are the tubular sockets 0, within which are free to ride up and down the plungers D, having the rollers E free to travel around the upper surface of the platform (I. The plungers D are tubular at their upper ends and receive the stems F, each stein carrying at its upper end a small table G, on which to stand a can H, which is to have its top or bottom seamed. The table G has a surrounding rim J and a false bottom K, movable within the rim J, and having two pins L attached to its lower surface and passing freely through holes in the table G. Between the lower end of each stem F and thebottom of the tubular part of its respective plunger D is a spiral spring M. The plungers D are kept from rotating in the sockets O by a screw N entering a slot 0 in the plunger. Behind each socket O is a standard P, having the bolt Q for adjustment in aslot in the platform d. Concentrically over each socket G is a circu- 8o lar burner R, which can be raised and lowered by the screw S and guided by the bolt T sliding in the slotted opening U provided in the standard P. The burner R has a ringgallery V, receiving gas and air from the pipe W, communicating with the mixing-bulb X, which receives air from the gallery I by the pipe I) and gas from the chamber is through the pipe (1,, regulating-taps being provided on the pipes a and b. The air and gas passes outward from the gallery V through the holes d into the circumferentially-slotted gallery e, provided with the flame-slot f. There is an overhanging ledge g above the slot f, which comes on the top of the can H being 5 operated on. At the edge of the table 0 is a gap g having inclines h, which slope downward one another. The first part of the bottom of the gap g is depressed, as at '5, to a greater extent than the rest of it. The ob- IOO contact with the platform (1, to push up the false bottom K and bring the bottom of the can H above the rim J, and so into position to be struck ofi for its place to be taken by another can, The cans H, after passing in succession under each of the burners R, are

struck off the tables G by thefollowing means:

Held above and below in a suitable standard 9 1s a spindle it, having a project-ing arm I at or near its upper end and another arm m at or near its lower end. The spindle It is encircled by the spiral spring n, the ends of which are held in such manner that the arms and m incline toward the direction in which the cans H approach them. When in the onward course of the platform d the lower arm m is pushed forward by one of the sockets O, the upper arm Z will also be moved forward, and as soon as the socket'O has passed sufliciently to release the lower arm m it and the upper one Z will be caused by the spring 02 to fly back in the opposite direction to that of the platform (1, whereupon the upper arm Z will strike ofi the can As the platform d advances the plunger D is pushed by the higher part of the bottom of the gap g, so that the false bottom K falls and again exposes the rim J ready for the reception of the next can.

If desired, the platform at may be revolved continuously by any suitable means instead of intermittently by means of the ratchet-' wheel q and pawl 'r.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The platform 01 is intermittently rotated by the means already mentioned, and each can H having its double-seamed top or bottom seam formed has that seam played on by the flame of the burnerR, whereby the contacting coatings of the metal are fused together, the fusion being complete on the platform at completing its revolution. Each can as it comes tothe gapg" is struck ofi, as above explained, and its place taken by another can 7 and so on.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In machines for fusing the top and'bottom seams of metal cans and like receptacles, a table: standards supporting the said table: a revoluble platform above the said table: a vertical shaft carrying the said platform: means for intermittently or continuously moving the said shaft and platform: an airchamber below the said platform: an air-gallery above the said platform: means for supplying air to the said chamber and gallery: a gas-chamber above the said platform: means for conveying gas to the said gas-chamber: tubular sockets equidistantly arrayed around the revoluble platform and hanging below it: plungers slidable in the said tubular sockets and having tubular upper ends: rimmed tables having stems to fit into the said tubular ends of the said plungers: springs between the bottoms of the tubular ends of the plungers and the bottom ends of the said stems: false bottoms to the rimmed tables: means for raising the said bottoms to the level of the rims of thetables: radially-adjustable standards behind each tubular socket: horizontal ring burners attached in an adjustable manner to the said standards: means for moving the said burners in a vertical direction: pipes conveying mixed air and gas to the said burners: mixing-bulbs with which the said pipes communicate: air and gas pipes entering the said bulbs and communicating respectively with the air-gallery and gas-chamber: means for regulating the supply of air and gas to the bulbs: a gapin the revoluble platform: sloping ends to the said gap: a rail bottom to the said gap and connecting the sloping ends of the said gap: means for striking oif each can after it has made a complete revolution with the revoluble platform, substantially as described and illustrated.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULES GERSANT. AROHIBALD GEORGE BUTTIFANT. Witnesses:

WALTER ALBET GREEN, ARTHUR OARRIOK. 

